Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/217

Rh combined a feeling of dislike of what was called &quot;the Virginia school&quot; of politics, jealousy at the loss of political control, distrust of the policy of territorial expansion, apprehensions for the future in the apparent overthrow of the balance of power between the sections, hatred of France and friendship for England. This detested &quot;Virginia school&quot; had routed the Federalist party in every general election, had acquired Louisiana, was seeking to acquire Florida, was establishing new states and bringing them in as political allies, was voting down every proposition that came from the North, had brought on a war with England, and was suspected of favoring an alliance with France.

The Northeastern States felt aggrieved, and lashed themselves into abnormal fury. It may be said in their defense, that a similar feeling of irritation has been shown by each section of the Union, in turn, when confronted with the prospect of political insignificance, and dependence upon the forbearance of other sections in the affairs of government. Such sentiments are, perhaps, inherent in the Anglo- Saxon- Norman race. Yet, had the people of New England looked further into the future, they would have discovered the remarkable law of territorial expansion; that each acquisition has ultimately proved fatal to the political control of the section which demanded it. The Northeast was now reaping the fruits of the clamor which some of their States had raised at the time of the foundation of the government, and which led to the cessions of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. The new States formed from these cessions were now entering the Union as allies of the Republican party, and seemed uniting with Louisiana to destroy the balance of power, and to rivet the control of a section which New England was beginning to regard as hostile to her interests.

Although the Northeast could not then lift the veil of the future, yet the time was not far off when this very policy